Rate My Professor Thaddeus Maloney

Thaddeus Maloney is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems at Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, serving as Professor (Associate Professor) of Bio-based Materials. He leads the Biobased Materials Technology group, which develops next-generation fiber products and material-based technologies to renew the paper and board industries through sustainable cellulosic fibers. Maloney earned his Master's degree in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology on 21 March 1995 and his Doctoral degree in Engineering and Technology from the same institution on 16 November 2000. He has been affiliated with Aalto University since at least 2009 and currently directs the Master's Programme in Bioproducts Engineering. His career focuses on advancing knowledge in pulp fiber structure and modification, cellulose-water interactions, carbon materials for energy storage, and nanocellulose films.

Maloney's research specializations include bioproducts, nanocellulose, paper technology, and Papsat, with applications in nanomaterial production such as nanofibrillated cellulose and nanopapers, porous cellulosic materials for absorbents and hygienic products, and pulp fiber dissolution. He is principal investigator on the SUPER/Maloney project funded by Business Finland, targeting superior cellulose-based material performance via controlled fiber-water interactions. In recognition of his early contributions, Maloney received the Jukka Lehtinen Award for Excellence in Drying Research and the Van den Akker Prize for Best International Paper Physics Article, both in 2000. Key publications encompass 'General overview of graphene: Production, properties and application in polymer composites' (Phiri, Gane, Maloney, 2017), 'The formation of pores in the cell wall' (Maloney, Paulapuro, 1999), 'A comparative study of mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of graphene-, graphene oxide- and reduced graphene oxide-doped microfibrillated cellulose nanocomposites' (Phiri et al., 2018), 'Hydration and swelling of pulp fibers measured with differential scanning calorimetry' (Maloney, Paulapuro, Stenius, 1998), and 'Deaggregation of cellulose macrofibrils and its effect on bound water' (Maloney et al., 2023). His scholarship, cited nearly 4,000 times, impacts sustainable materials development aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals in industry innovation, responsible consumption, and climate action. Maloney presented the tenured professor installation talk 'A paradigm shift for paper' at Aalto University in 2022.